Hours Before Dawn
by I Enjoy Lurking
Summary: AU. Veneziano and his friends found themselves waking up to a post-apocalyptic future harbored by monsters. We shall follow their fates as they carry onward in the new dangerous world to find a solution to everything and go home. The hours before dawn are always the darkest.


To be fair, this idea was brought up by me earlier last year, which was a long time ago. I loved how cool it sounded back then and now, I still do. Now, after reading a lot of apocalypse-related fanfictions and improving my writings, I want to take up the challenge. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this.

Also, some of the Nyotalia's are also brought into play with important roles, so don't yell at me if you thought they are OC's. Since they clearly aren't. Remember, just remember, they are not the same people. And the story will follow Veneziano's narratives most of the times. Now, let the show begin.

* * *

Veneziano could feel his conscious returning to his body as he laid. The black-colored abyss disappeared as he fluttered open his eyelids. Colors blurred and swarmed together, attacking his vision and his head hurt like somebody was hammering it. Clutching his head, his eyes snapped to a close as he tried to stop the pain. The Italian tried to pry off the answer to what happened earlier from his messed up head, to no avail. It felt like everything was spinning, save for himself, and he couldn't do anything but lying there, helpless as ever.

After what felt like an hour, his rampaging head seemed to calm down and he heard somebody calling out for him by his name. The voice repeated and repeated itself, until Veneziano himself gave in and peeked out from one eye. The scenery he caught a glimpse of seemed normal, yet not one he recognized.

" Oh thank God, you seem to be in a good shape. " Veneziano finally identified the voice as a calm Japanese's voice. Japan's voice was a bit shaky, yet seemed relieved. Veneziano regretted ignoring the poor guy, he must be worrying himself sick!

Supporting his body with his two arms, the brunette tried to pick himself up from the ground. He blinked when somebody offered him a hand and before he could do or say anything, he was standing. An upward gaze confirmed his suspicion, as the person who helped him up was his trusty pal, Germany. He gave the blonde a reassuring smile before inspecting the room he was in.

Well, calling it a room would be somewhat a blasphemy to everything, since it seemed to be run down. Green moss helped itself to everything as it covered the walls as green as possible. A thick layer of dust covered everything "un-moss", making the three people inside uncomfortable as ever. Books seemed to be thrown across the room and their pages got torn into pieces. The lucky books that were sitting on the bookshelves unharmed fumed a horrible stench. From the sheer amount of bookshelves, he could tell that this was a public library or some sort… Had been, seeing that torn open roof did not help.

" W-where are we? " Veneziano spoke up, his voice quivering without him noticing it. Germany and Japan darted a look at each other, and slowly shook their heads, meaning they didn't know. The mood inside the room fell as Veneziano shifted around on his feet before talking again. " Maybe… We should go out and check up on where we are… "

The suggestion snapped the Japanese and German, who seemed to leave reality a few seconds ago to sort out their thoughts, into concentration again. Japan quickly offered to go with him, though with that worried voice he was speaking in, he should have worded it as 'escort him around', thought the brunette.

" Me too. " Germany followed suit in the offer of accompanying the ditzy Italian. He surely knew better than to leave Veneziano wandering around in an unknown place by himself.

Leaving the ghostly library, they found themselves in a deserted ground with no sign of life anywhere. The brown ground beneath their feet are cracked from a long period of drought. The sky wasn't in it's usual cheery blue, instead wore a depressing grey. Lost and deprived white clouds blowing across the sky, as if they were trying to find a sign of life they could latch onto. There were some buildings surrounding the old library, yet they were some how destroyed to the point there were only walls left. If one squinted hard enough, he could catch a glimpse of a city, some smoke and bright orange, a few short kilometers away from the library. 'Destination!' Their heads yelled out, as they trotted towards (hopefully) civilization without another word.

* * *

The long walk ended and the bright orange revealed itself to be a raging fire, which was enveloping the city. The fire seemed like it wouldn't stop, ever, even when there's a massive downpour right now. The city was a mess. Buildings have fallen over, stacking on each other. Walls are wrecked, inhumanly large holes spawned across its surfaces. Windows smashed, streetlights bent in an awkward angle. Vehicles abandoned by their owners rested on the road. None of which seemed in good shape and had probably not been used in a lengthened time. The sights are unnerving to the three, as their foot buried on the spot, refusing to take another dreadful step nearer to the city. So they just stood there, eyes widened, hearts beating frantically.

" Hey! " Came a loud and cheerful voice. The three were so deep inside their thoughts that they didn't see anyone approach. The voice belonged to America, who had been walking towards them with his teammates - England, France, China and Russia – in tow. They seemed to be in decent health at least, and seemed not to mean any harm. The blonde American smiled innocently. " Seems like you finally woke up! Great! "

" Excuse my ignorance, but what do you exactly mean by, 'finally'? " Germany's voice spoke up, stating an obvious question that the other two, lost in their daze, forgot ask.

" Oh? You didn't know? We five woke up inside that weird library with you three. And you guys just wouldn't wake up, so we decided to do a bit of exploration. " America whistled, answering the German's question (too) casually. " And you guys wound up arriving only 15 minutes after we reached this place. It's like you are never late, Germany."

" All it matters now is that you three have waken up and are okay, correct? " France reassured them with his words and expressed his genuine relief at the same time. Veneziano just beamed at him.

" Yes, it's great to see that. " Russia followed along, smiling as always.

The group of eight continued to question and answer and discussed, but despite all of the loud chatters, everything eventually quieted down, leaving behind a distasteful silence. Now, they could notice that the flame died down, so you could go inside and walk around unscathed if you paid extra close attention. Still, patches of fire here and there are still up and going, with no intention to stop or whatsoever.

" Hey, should we go inside and inspect the city? I mean, it's our only clue to where this is. " Suggested Veneziano.

" I'd prefer us not. " England mumbled loud enough for them to hear. He was still uncomfortable with fires, as they reminded him of the infamous Fire of London in the past. He could still feel like sounds from before, haunting him. Despite that, his requirement went unnoticed as Germany led them through the city gate, inside.

As the octet tiptoed inside, they feverishly wondered what they would find inside this city of ruins. A small breeze picked up and blown along with it strays of ashes and dust. It was their first time seeing such a deserted, wrecked place that it sent shivers down their spines. No one dared even breathing loudly as they continued their gumshoe action into the center of the place. And then, something caught their attention. A newspaper, lying splayed on the ground behind a dumpster. It must had been shielded by the dumpster during the fire, since it wasn't burnt too much. The papers oozed a light yellow color, indicating that it have been here for a long time. It was picked up by China's hands, and seemed to be in a poor condition.

The newspaper's title was written in a bolded forte font in the beginning, and it stood out, but they didn't recognize the name. The black ink seemed to be rather blurry, making it hard to read every word without guessing. The eyes immediately traced the dates.

_Monday, October 11, 2020._

The newspaper was released from the Chinese's grip as it fell to the ground flatly. It had served its purpose, now it could be dismissed. China ran a hand through his hair, trying to take in information's.

" No fuckin' way… " America sputtered.

" Impossible. " Japan mumbled, as he reeled back from shock.

" The future? How come! " England growled, discontent. Yet his eyes said otherwise as they displayed shock and sadness.

France, Germany and Russia seemed as if they were afraid too, but decided to hold back their feelings for some moment, for the sake of others. They couldn't risk anything at this point of time.

Veneziano couldn't say anything. His face showed a range of emotions, from anger, pain, to surprise and helplessness. His stomach churned at the thought of them never reaching home again. They would have nowhere to turn to, considering the state of this city, what happened to the other places? Tears frightfully tried to escape from his eyes as he blinked repeatedly as a last resort to keep them in their places. He felt breathless, as if there's no air in his lung. He whimpered as a hand was placed on his shoulder. It was Germany's.

" Italy, I need you to calm down. We all have to think sensibly in situations like this. " His voice was calm and clear, yet Veneziano could felt the tiredness from it. He hid it well, but not well enough. Veneziano wished he could be like him, logical and rational. " After all, you are the Republic of Italy, right? " The blonde smiled.

" Yes. " Veneziano could feel his lips quirking up, forming a big, big smile.

The happy sensation didn't last long for him, as they heard a thunderous roar from somewhere, just in front of them. Smiles faltered as they heard another one quickly followed, the volume was the same.

The representations quickly scrambled to their feet, backing away from the ominous sound. It felt like their hearts stopped when they saw a large shadow from far away, towering towards them, nearly eight feet at height. It had pair of crazed, burning crimson eyes and abnormally sharp set of teeth, which was too long and sharp to close the mouth without making any damage. Its russet fur was spiked, to the point it looked dangerous. Its arms and legs were bulky and muscular, seemed to be ready to break into a sprint at anytime. Its long ears twitched as it began to listen intently for any sound from eight shivering countries.

If one dropped a pin, it could be heard loud and clear at a time like this. The countries began to take a step away and saw the beast's head twitch at their movements. No one dared to do anything else, until the monster took the initiative, lunging at them without any forewarnings. Deeply terrified, they turned around and broke into a race, trying to get away from it. It felt like their bodies are on fire, with all the adrenaline rushes flowing. They all tried to keep up their fast paces, all scared of the dire consequences if they had fallen behind. They took many sharp turns to dodge routes with fallen buildings or fire, with the intention of tricking the monster and getting away. Yet it seemed to be smart and always tailing them.

Being a nation meant they were blessed with endurance and strength, yet Veneziano could feel his breathing ragged. He wanted to scream, to yell from the top of his lungs, but he couldn't afford to do that right now. It was like playing catch, he thought, trying to reassure himself. But you would die when if you get yourself caught by the enemy.

When they were running down a narrow road, they spotted a person with silvery blond hair and bright purple eyes walking down it in the opposite direction. He had a long grey leather jacket with fur on the neck and wrists to keep warmth and sported black sport shoes. He seemed to be patrolling around the city. His face flashed a startled reaction when he saw eight people being chased by a monster, which was clearly normal, if someone thought about it logically. The stranger quickly signaled them to follow him by hands, which they took without another thought. They were too distressed to even think normally and the stranger looked normal enough.

The fiend seemed to get excited at the sight of another victim, as it's speed picked up. The young man pulled out some throwing daggers, sent them flying at the beast before he directed them to a cramped and long alley. One normal man could struggle a bit to get through but it seemed to be impossible for a raging beast. So they went in there, one by one, as fast as they could to escape from it and let the next person to go inside. Soon, they were all in and made a run for it. The angry monster stuck it's arm inside the path, but wasn't able to get inside, no matter how it howled or struggled. The howls were painful and deafening to hear from such a close distance, but no one complained.

After about fifteen minutes, the monster was out of sight, it's roar echoed from a long distance.

" T-Thank you for saving us. " France said. The stranger calmly nodded.

" Uhm... Would it be too much for us to stay with you for awhile? " China spoke. " We are... new here, and those monsters are roaming free. "

" I could see that. " The stranger chuckled and told them to follow him again.

* * *

They followed the stranger as he led them towards a survival bunker placed inside a hill, which wasn't too far from the city, yet close enough to be convenient. The bunker was shielded out by tall patch of grass, leaves and vines, leaving it nearly impossible to be sighted by anyone. The stranger walked through the tall grass and began to unlock the lock with a key.

" Wow, dude. Where did you get that? " America asked, sounded greatly impressed.

" One of that things developed some brain itself, broke the lock and snuck inside during the dead of the night. " The stranger answered, tone uncaring. " Slaughtered the occupants. I was walking around here during that. Killed it and got it. " The way he answered question made the answer seemed like a matter of fact, which had taken America aback.

" O-oh. I see. So, your accent… Are you a Russian or something? " America stated another question, seemed slightly intimidated.

" No. " Spoke Russia. As the representation of the country himself, he knows his own people's accents from each continents of Russia and their differences. Here, this young man's was close, but not enough. " He's Belarusian. Really, America? "

" How should I know? You all sound alike. " America quickly defended himself and waved his right hand dismissively.

" Will we be safe in here, sir? And sir… what is your name? " Questioned Veneziano.

" I've replaced a better lock and grown some grass. Also it's pretty secure anyway, there's really no one left here that the monsters can find so they probably moved to somewhere else. And it's Nikolai. " Nikolai answered quickly, as if he was trying to be ignore them.

After unlocking the heavy lock, the man gestured them inside. It was medium sized, though with nine people, it seemed really crowded, but they could endure it. It wasn't decorated at all, or to be blunt, it was very plain. The room was only decorated with a green rug that seemed like an antique. A dining table was placed next to a petite kitchen. A few knives were placed neatly on it, making the guests shivered. There were three bunk beds on the other side of the room, two of which seemed cleaner and unused. An olive-colored suitcase was stuffed inside the lowest bunk, presumably containing medicine and clothes. There was a door that led to the bathroom, with a toilet, sink and shower. For an abode, it was very humble, indeed.

" Hey. " Nikolai twirled himself to face their directions. " Who are you guys anyway? You all look very familiar somehow, yet I can't seem to recall anything from my memory, which is weird."

The inevitable question hit the countries' representatives hard. They knew this was coming, anyway. They had always kept their own identities a secret from everyone, even their people, except those who lived in the capitals. After a few back and forth glances at their companions, they decided to take a gamble. It was like the apocalypse happened here in the future, and this man saved their lives. It wouldn't hurt to tell one.

" We are… countries. " Germany spoke up hesitantly.

" … No, you guys are- " There was a slight pause in the beginning before Nikolai continued, as if he was reminded of something or observing. Yet, his reply was cut off midway by Germany's clarification. He looked annoyed at having someone cut in while he was speaking.

" No, you don't understand. This maybe very weird to take in right now but… We really are countries. " The German's voice sounded exhausted and impatient. The silver blonde shrugged and decided to change the topic.

" Anyway, you guys still need proper clothes, weapons and equipments if you want to survive in this time. Leather stuff is good, since it keeps you warm and is hard to bite through. Look for them down South of the city tomorrow, that place is in better shape than here, and the fire didn't reach there. I'll lend you some of my knives. " Nikolai's voice was harsh and cold, but the message was short and clear. The eight country representatives nodded. That would be the first thing they would do tomorrow.

* * *

After that, the rest of the day and dinner seemed like a blur compared to the earlier events for Veneziano. He faintly remembered playing rock-paper-scissors to divide nine people to fit in three beds, one couch and a floor and some arguments about who was going to cook. That, and the fact that dinner was edible, he got paired with Japan and England on the second bunk and Nikolai warmed up to them. But that was all he could remember, as he was lost inside his world the entire time as his head still continued to action reply everything from before like a broken cassette.

He had pretended to take a nap after dinner so that no one would freak out if he spaced off for too long. When his eyes were closed, everything would rush back like a reminder to him, that they weren't safe. That this wasn't their home. The Northern Italian wished to weep out of sorrow for the umpteenth time today, yet his eyes felt dry somehow.

After a long wait, night had finally arrived. The Belarusian in their little group insisted on not sleeping, but taking guard. He reasoned that he always did this and he would go to bed during the time when no monsters were around, which was 4 am. Apparently, monsters needed rests also, especially the weaker ones.

Veneziano could hear Japan and England climbing on the bed next to him. The bed was a tight fit for three grown man, yet it was better than sleeping on the dirty ground outside with a chance of being mauled violently in your sleep by dreadful monsters. Germany had taken the lowest bunk. The Italian heard a cell phone's buttons being pressed by someone and some curses being mumbled. The cell phone probably didn't work, not much of a surprise, since this was the future.

The Italian could feel his conscious disappearing, lulling him into a deep sleep. Before he drifted off, he thought about how blessed he was, to meet a nice person and have his friends with him right now. After that, it was only a comfortable darkness as he fell into the deep unconscious.

* * *

Nikolai's took another sip of his coffee before rubbing his temples. He had a weird day, today and felt glad that he actually lived through all of it. He encountered a group of weird foreigners trying to run away from a level 2 Monster while wearing some vintage clothes. Maybe it was pity that he brought them in. And they even claimed to be those "countries". After that, he swore that he just couldn't understand people.

If his memory was correct, most of the country representatives, especially the major power countries', had been killed a long time ago. And that had been such old news that nobody even bothered to bring up. He continued to keep watch, eyes closing while his ears listened to the sound of monsters, still alert.

A howl of a Monster echoed through the night and he took another sip from his coffee mug.


End file.
